Mainly Norfolk: English
Folk and Other Good Music

Three Jolly Boys

George Spicer sang Three Jolly Boys
at home in Selsfield, West Hoathly, Sussex, in 1974. This recording made
by Mike Yates was published in the same year on Spicer's Topic album
of traditional songs and ballads,
Blackberry Fold.
and in 2004 on the musical Traditions anthology of Mike Yates recordings,
The Birds Upon the Tree.
Mike Yates noted:

The Liverpool Spinners used to sing a version of this. Part of their text,
and most of the tune, came from a publican's son in Oldham, Lancashire.
The rest came from the late Eric Winter, editor of Sing magazine, who printed
the song in the March 1962 edition of the magazine.

The Spinners sang Three Jolly Boys
on their 2018 live album
Legends.
Mick Groves notes:

I got Three Jolly Boys from a young chef in Manchester. He grew up
in a pub in Greenfield outside Oldham where he regularly heard three old
topers singing this ditty.